Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-07-22


was a peculiar one-I remembered well.
Somehow l judged, or fancied, that the
diamond did not shine as brightly as 1t
had done the night before.
Next morning l took the ring TO
second ieweIer and asked him his opinion
as TO it's value. He examined the diamond
carefully and laid it down on the glass
case before him with one contemptuous
word:
"'Paste"
"'Paste" echoed. ImpossibIen
"'Certainly, paste, and very good i'm
itation, he replied, turning away.
"My heart sank within me. Eighty
pounds was a sum / could i'll afford to
lose. l meant a summary end to my hol-
idays, not to speak of embarrassments
that would last some time.
"With q faint hope that the second ex-
pert had been mistaken l took the ring
to the ieweler who had offered the Ameri-
| can 5000 francs for it.
| "He seemed pleased to me, but as
! soon as he had glanced at the ring his
| face changed,
"'This is not the same ring you showed
me yesterday he said, in a tone that
made it plain that he thought | meant to
cheat him. AT least he added, 1T is not
! the same stone. ms Is nOI STONE dU
all; IT is paste
so | have been sold, said, sadly.
! Are you sure that the Jewel l showed you
/ yesterday was genuine diamoEd:'
4 am certain Of he answered.
The honorable conduct las l had
| thought it, of the stranger in refusing
to sell to the jeweler was now ineligible.
The jeweler meant to keep the real stone.
4 Ii To 20
had been managed. The swindler had
had two rings made exactly alike of a
striking AID peculiar pattern. In one
of them he had placed a genuine and very
fine diamond. This was the decoy. In
the other he had to put a false diamond,
| closely resembling in size and shape the
genuine one in the first ring. The one
he wore and offered to sell was the true
stone. When he got it back from the
jeweler he had kept it and had given me
the sham one in exchange for my $50.
What was | to do?
"The first thing was TO ascertain wheth
| or my friend had left the hotel. OF course
! he had on the afternoon of the previous
/ day; still, the scent was so hot, [ fancied
! / should have little difficulty in tracing
| him. But when | found him my Difficult
ties would only begin. OF course he would
swear that he had sold me the ring with
the stone which the jewelCr had declared
/ to be genuine. | might, cOuceivably,
/ have substituted paste for the true gem
as well rs he. In any case, when | thought
/ of tho difficulty of getting back my
money from an American wandering
/ about Europe, my heart sank within me.
Even if the police consented TO help me,
taking my word against his, even if the
rogue were convicted, how was [ to re
cover the 1000 frances?
"These thoughts passed through my
mind as hurried back TO tho hotel. Ger
tainly the prospect was gloomy enough.
Il easily ascertaincd that the American
had taken tho train for Paris the day
before, and | determined to fellow him,
Rt once. | did not despair of finding
him, as he would probably put MP at one
of the good hotels.
"On the way Up to Paris could think
of nothing but my loss. This fellow |
saw had hit upon very safe and profit
able method of swindling. In nine cases
out of ten the cheated man would not dis
cover his loss for years after he had seen
the last of the American, if, indeed, the
trick was discovered at all; for the paste
was quite good enough to deceive cas-
course, be actuated by profound faith
in his diamond straight from Brazil.
Had it not been for the incident of my
finding the ring case, which the rogue had
accidentally dropped, | should in all
probability have uuwittingly cheated
poor Iuronue out of his money, and he
might afterward have been supposed to
be trying to palm off a spurious diamond
for real gem. In all probability the
fellow made living and very good
one-by going about Europe practicing
this trick.
This idea sent off my thoughts on
new track, and by the time had arrived
Ill Paris | had decided on my course of
action.
First of all, made careful inquiries at
the railway station as to tall American
who had arrived at Nice by certain train
on The preceding day; and by the help of
some franc pieces, | found the cabmau
who had driven him to his hotel--the
Continental.
This being ascertaiued, | choose
quiet, unpretending hotel for myself
near one of the railroad stations. Then
| enptied 'hs contents of a light bag on
my bod, and, taking it empty in my hand,
| went to theatrical costumer's and say
ing | intended to take part III some priv
ate theatrlcals, | hired the costume of
French 6bbc. ut was part l had often
played in piece that had n pretty long
run IN London some eight years ago, and
l had little doubt that l would DO able to
acquit myself in it fairly welll l got the
proper dress, wig, powder and everything
complete, and having put all the articles
into my bag, | went to one of the railway
az mud tool ipl- FNr
station little way out in the country.
TO my disgust l found it impossible
to get compartment to myself, the train
WAS too crowded, but | reflected that the
trains returning to Paris would probably
be much less crowded in the afternoon
than those going into the country.
I'm this supposltion l WAS right.
hung about the suburban railway station
till a return train was about to start. 1t
was nearly empty, and a boucher to the
guard secured me the privacy l needed.
BY the time l returned to Paris l was
stout, Notwithstanding French priest,
in comfortable circumstances. Ny suit
of tweeds | had placed N my bag, which
| took care to leave at he railway station.
Then l made the best of my way TO the
Hotel Continental.
Il was Just in time for the table d'hote,
and as | took my seat noticed with great
satisfaction that my Transatlantic frierd
was sitting not very far of, and that he had
not a suspicion of my identity. Nothing,
l knew, could be done until after dinner,
so | waited through the tedious process
sion of discourses as patiently as | could,
and when at last they came to an end l
followed the American and little group
of men who surrounded him to the smok-
iug-room. 1t was not exactly the place
for a priest, but l could not help that.
Il sat down by little round table near
the American, but slightly behind him, so
as to be able to hear the conversation
without joining it unless | wished. From
time to time l offered a remark-speak-
ing, of course, in French-to the man
who sat next me, but for the most part
smoked my cigar ard slipped my coffee
in silence.
AS / expected, it was not long before
diamonds became the subject of CONVEX
sation.
~ don't know much about diamonds
myself, said the American, speaking in
his native tongue, but I'm told by good
judges that thar's as good stone as you
will see anywhere round. Almost exact
ly the phrases, / said to myself, that the
fellow used to me in Nice.
You kin take a look at it, he added
csrelessly, drawing of the ring and hand
ing il to one of the group. | bent for